This week’s episode will see the 80-year-old visit the sites of Worcestershire sauce manufacturer Lea & Perrins and malt loaf producer Soreen in his new show, British Made with John Prescott.
In the first part of a four-episode series, which will be broadcast on Good Friday (19 April), Prescott explores the processes that bring some of the UK’s most iconic food products to store shelves. Future episodes will feature the likes of Typhoo, Tyrrell's Crisps and Ribena.
How they became big
During the episode, Prescott reportedly said: “I was interested in how small firms became big and employed whole villages. The father develops the idea, the son expands it and then with the next generation it makes millions.
“They were places I could relate to because of my school dinners – I always had Soreen malt loaf with New Zealand butter.”
The episode will see Prescott on the factory floor trying his hand at tasks on the line and even helping to design his own malt loaf filled with popping candy, cranberries and pineapple.
Commenting on Prescott’s visit to Soreen, marketing director Bethan Brown said: “We were delighted to welcome John Prescott to our Soreen Bakery in Manchester to demonstrate our squidgy malt loaf process in full flow. John has been eating Soreen since he was young and was keen to get stuck in on his visit, chatting to all our staff, assisting with the mixing process and trying his hand at packing boxes.”
Inside the Factory
There have been a number of shows on British television that have begun airing in recent years that have offered the public and glimpse into the inner workings of the food and drink manufacturing industry.
Arguably the most famous and successful of these shows has been the BBC’s Inside the Factory series, presented by Gregg Wallace. Now in it’s fourth series, the show has visited Nestlé UK’s coffee factory in Tutbury, Pladis’ McVitie’s Chocolate Digestive supply chain and sausage maker Heck’s Bedale site.
Meanwhile, last month, a north-east spreadable cheesemaker showed the nation how it makes 3,000t of product a year when it appeared on the show last month.